


PROJECT NECTAR - Headwounds

by peewolf



Series: PROJECT NECTAR [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Fake AH Crew, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23760970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peewolf/pseuds/peewolf
Summary: After an unfortunate run-in with the authorities, Michael and Lindsay get into an accident. Luckily, Geoff and Jack find them and take them in.Small little preview fic of the Nectar AU! More info on that will be in the notes and the full fic is being written.
Relationships: Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Michael Jones
Series: PROJECT NECTAR [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711756
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	PROJECT NECTAR - Headwounds

**Author's Note:**

> A preview of the Nectar AU, where the Fakes are a hybrid species who were crossed with different flowers. The experiment went wrong and now they whole species is being eradicated. 
> 
> This is how Michael and Lindsay joined The Fakes, which takes place before the final fic will! Be on the lookout for more of these shorter stories while I write the big fic. 
> 
> More info can be found on my tumblr here!: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/lautay20/search/FAHC+Nectar

The engine surged to life as Lindsay yanked the key to the right, slamming her foot on the gas. There was a millisecond before her entire world went from zero to seventy miles per hour, and she was thrust back against the suede cushion of her husband’s car. She turned the wheel almost 180 degrees to swerve the car away from the curb as fast as possible, glancing up at the rear-view mirror to see the military jeep right on their tail. 

“For the love of God fucking drive, Lindsay!” Michael screamed from the seat next to her, breaking off into a heart-wrenching yowl as he heard the first of many gunshots hit the back of the car (thank the heavens she was able to convince him to get bulletproof windows a few months ago). Lindsay swerved through cars, around pedestrians and against the flow of traffic, all while ignoring the blaring horns definitely aimed at her. Beside her Michael rolled the window down to yell at anyone he could-that was his way of letting off steam-and Lindsay winced as she was able to hear all the screams around them. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t fully concentrate on driving, but she had to in order for the two of them to make it out of their neighborhood alive. Looking through the mirror again she had just enough time to see someone in the jeep pulling out a machine gun, aiming it right at the windshield, before she had to look back in front of them to blow through yet another red light. It was just her luck that every light they had come to was red on their end, but for once in her life she didn’t care about the law. Why should she if her entire existence was illegal at this point, anyways?

Turning a particularly tight corner, she felt the wheels on her side of the car suddenly lift off the ground, and heard herself scream before the car tipped back and the wheels landed with a thud back onto the pavement. As she drove through backroads and construction sites, she heard the sirens get further and further away and realized the jeep had continued going straight. 

“Lindsay, we lost them, slow down!” Michael’s knuckles were as pale as his face as he gripped onto the seat for dear life. 

“I don’t want to risk it...just a little bit further!” 

So on they went, still at full speed, through parts of the city they had never seen before. Surely they had to be close to the bummy outskirts, but she wanted to be sure that they were as far away as possible before she could even think of taking her foot off the gas. 

Eventually, they drove to some desolate neighborhood, which proved to be a lot more difficult to dodge through. Every fifty feet there was another car parked illegally against the sidewalk, another abandoned fruit cart in the middle of the crosswalk, another tipped over garbage can leaking brown sludge that completely ruined the traction of their tires. They couldn’t get a break. Lindsay was sweating bullets as Michael screamed with everything in their way. It was almost guaranteed that they would crash, which was why Lindsay was only barely surprised as they turned onto a dead end alley. Slamming on the breaks only barely helped, and didn’t do much to soften the impact as they impacted the brick wall in front of them and the world went white. 

Michael was the first to come to, frantically patting the airbag down to get a view of his surroundings. There was broken glass absolutely everywhere, and he winced as pain shot up his right arm-broken, probably. The brick wall was so close that he could reach out and touch it through the windshield, which meant the entire hood of his lovely sedan had to have been ripped apart and bent sideways, which he didn’t even know was possible. Suddenly he remembered Lindsay, and whipped his head to the side to see her slumped into the airbag. She had a huge gash in her forehead, and blood was seeping down her neck into the collar of her sweater. Panicking, he reached over to hold her close and put two fingers to her neck. Her pulse was still there, and he exhaled for the first time since they crashed. 

They needed help, he finally realized, so he gently pushed the door open and allowed himself to tumble out onto the ground. In front of him was the complete mess of the car, and he groaned as he realized that it would probably be going to the dump now after 15 years of driving the damn thing. Before he could really lament on the situation he heard footsteps behind him and scrambled to his feet. It was too dark to really see anything, and as Michael’s eyes were still adjusting to the musty atmosphere of the alleyway, he could barely make out two figures approaching them. Looking around him he saw a beer bottle on the ground, and smashed it against the pavement with his good arm before jutting it out at the people.

“I don’t know who the fuck you are but get the hell away from me!” He screamed, spit flying from his mouth. The figures took a step back, hands cautiously rising in a gesture of surrender, and Michael slowly let the arm with the bottle fall to his side. The shorter of the two reached into his pocket to pull out a flashlight, which he turned on and pointed at himself to reveal that he was wearing a deep purple suit and gas mask. Michael winced. 

“Are you a hybrid?” The man asked, and Michael couldn’t help but snarl.

“Why the hell is that any of your business?”

Slowly, the other man reached to pull down the collar of his dress shirt, revealing the unmistakable green tendrils growing out of his neck. Michael’s eyes grew wide, and tugged the collar of his own shirt to reveal his matching greenary. 

“Do you need help?”

Regaining his senses, Michael glanced between the car and the men. “Y-yeah, my wife is in the driver’s seat. She’s still alive, but we were trying to find somewhere to go because they found us this afternoon, and I-” 

“Come back with us,” the man interrupted. “We have plenty of food and supplies and an extra bed for you and your wife, as long as you will help us as well.”

Michael didn’t allow himself to think twice, and nodded his head vigorously before guiding the two of them to the driver’s side of the car to help Lindsay out of the seat. His eyes had adjusted to the light, so he could see that the other man who lifted Lindsay so effortlessly onto his back had a very unsettling mask as well, one that covered his entire face with a grey trunk that absolutely dehumanized his entire appearance. That facade was broken by the brightly colored hawaiian shirt he was wearing, which added more of a comical feel and an exact foil to the full suit that his partner was wearing. Speaking of, that man was helping Michael retrieve anything valuable from the back of the car, and Michael had one last look at his beloved highschool ride before they were walking out of the alleyway. 

There was no need to ask about the masks, because Michael already knew about the rumors of the poison gas that was newly developed to target the hybrids. He had just never seen anything like the masks before, and thought about how he could get a couple for Lindsay and himself in order for the two of them to be truly protected. As the three of them walked with Lindsay, the air was quiet. It was a cool July night, a bit chilly to the face but warm enough that he was sweating inside his brown leather jacket. The atmosphere was also thick with tension, which the man walking beside him decided to break. 

“What’s your name, son?” Turning to look at him, Michael got a good look at his purple eyes for the first time, green pupils sending a chill down his spine. Almost made him feel stupid for the brown contact lenses he himself was wearing. 

“I...Michael, sir. My wife there is Lindsay.” Wetting his lips, he turned back to see her draped across the shoulders of the broad man walking behind them. “What about you?”

“Geoff Ramsey, It’s a pleasure.” He emphasized this with an outstretched palm, which Michael gladly shook. “That man carrying your wife is Jack. Wonderful guy, very soft spoken and a good shoulder to cry on when you need it.” Michael looked back again, and Jack nodded at him. Even though he couldn’t see any of his face he was almost positive the man was smiling at him.

“Flatter me, why don’t you?” Jack’s voice was muffled, but indeed sounded kind to Michael. “You’re giving me the warm fuzzies.”

Geoff laughed, and Michael chuckled alongside him. In a strange way he felt almost...at peace, walking the abandoned streets of the slums of Los Santos late at night. It became easier and easier to talk to them and by the end of the walk it felt like they were old friends in a normal world. Michael was humored, and looked up at the apartment building that Geoff pointed to in front of them. 

“That’s it,” He stated. “The owners of this building are old friends of mine and agreed to let us live here during this crisis while keeping everything on the downlow.” 

“Holy shit, how did you manage to get them to agree to that?” Michael turned back to Geoff in shock. 

“A little promise of cash and a ticket for our help when needed.” Geoff pushed the door open and the secretary perked her head up from the front desk. 

“...You’ve doubled.” She questioned, scratching at the nape of her neck. 

“Indeed we have, Meg! We found these rascals after they totaled their car in one of the allies.” Geoff leaned against her desk and the secretary’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh my gosh,” she turned to Michael. “Are you guys okay?” 

“Besides a messed up arm and an unconcious wife, I’d say we made it out pretty good.” He chuckled a bit, and again looked at Lindsay. The blood had dried on her forehead-a good sign. 

As Geoff chatted up the secretary a bit more, Michael looked around the lobby. It was pretty bare, with a few paintings scattered on the walls and a coffee table with some magazines and lounge chairs. There was a small television set on the opposite wall behind them. Overall, the room just seemed empty, which was probably a result of the owners not getting enough funds to fully decorate. 

Geoff was then ushering them all towards the elevators, with one last “See you Meg, you’ve been a doll tonight!” over his shoulder as he pushed the button with the upwards arrow on it. The elevator ride was fairly silent, and the doors opened once they reached the second to last floor. Following Geoff with Jack at his heels, Michael wandered through the twisting hallway until they stopped at apartment number 348. 

Upon entering, Geoff took off his mask and collapsed onto the sofa, revealing a full beard that matched his dark hair. Michael was fascinated, his curiosity about what he looked like behind the mask finally fed after an hour. His attention quickly went to Jack as he carried Lindsay into the hallway, motioning for Michael to follow him into one of the side rooms. When he entered, Jack was laying Lindsay down into a queen-sized bed. 

“Do you think she’s gonna be okay?” Michael questioned, quickly moving to the side of the bed. 

“Most likely.” Jack paused to take off his mask. “Just got to give her some antiseptic and let her rest. She’ll probably be awake tomorrow morning and if not, we’ll start to worry.”

The sight of Jack without his mask proved to be a bit more of a shock to Michael than Geoff, for he immediately noticed all of the white flowers woven and poking through his beard. 

“Are those…?”

“Gardenias.” Jack finished his sentence with a chuckle, looking down at Michael with his grey eyes. “It’s part of the very small dress code that Geoff implemented for us. Wear your flower somewhere, and always wear your mask outside.”

“So are Lindsay and I going to get masks if we stay with you?” 

“That depends on if you’re staying,” Geoff stated from the doorway. Michael turned around to face him as he placed a first aid kit on the dresser. “We haven’t really discussed those terms yet, but we’ll talk it over once Lindsay wakes up. Your job will be to fill her in on everything.” 

Michael nodded, and looked back at Lindsay with a pang in his stomach. She was going to wake up not remembering literally anything. 

“Welp, it’s pretty late. I’m heading off to bed now but feel free to stay up if you need to. Bathroom is across the hall and the tap has running water if you need it.” Geoff rubbed his eyes and left the room. Jack smiled in his direction. 

“That’s my cue to leave as well.” He stood up and stretched. “I assume you want to sleep with your wife, right?” 

“Correct assumption.” Michael laughed, and Jack walked past him. “Wait-”

The taller man looked behind him and Michael gently grabbed his forearm. 

“Thank you guys, for everything. I truly don’t know where I would be right now if you two didn’t find us. Make sure Geoff knows that too.” 

“Will do, Michael. Have a good night.” 

They both exchanged a small wave, and Jack closed the door behind him. Michael took off his jacket and draped it over a chair before reaching for the first aid kit. Inside he found some gause and a small bottle of antiseptic, which he used to clean Lindsay’s headwound of the caked blood and bandage up the sore it left. Making sure to put everything back neatly, he returned the kit to the dresser before working on undressing Lindsay to her underclothes and tucking her into bed, waiting until she was comfortable to strip himself of his shirt and jeans. 

He tried to sleep, he really did, but was focused on Lindsay for the entire night. He didn’t want her to wake up at three in the morning without him, for she would definitely start panicking and probably get the two of them kicked out. So he waited, and with an eye half open finally heard her stirring after what felt like a couple hours later. 

“Hey,” he breathed, planting a small but tender kiss to Lindsay’s forehead. 

“I...w-where are we?” She muttered, hissing in pain as she tried to move.

“It’ll take a lot of explaining, but I promise you we’re safe.” He didn’t notice how he grunted when he moved his bad arm, laying it over Lindsay’s body to hug her tight. 

“Are you okay?” Lindsay was worried.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I hit it really bad in the crash and thought I broke it. Probably just a sprain at this point.”

“Wait, hold the fucking phone, what crash?!” 

Michael told her everything, from the military swarming their house while they were out on the back deck that evening, to running into the car to the alleyway, to being found by Geoff and Jack who were going to protect them. Lindsay could only stare at the ceiling as Michael rambled on, completely baffled but trusting him to tell her the truth. Such turned into conversation, mostly about how their lives would be impacted by them pretty much being kicked out of their own home, and their voices eventually soothed each other into sleep. 

Lindsay was the first to wake the next morning to hot sunshine in her eyes from the window on the wall in front of her, and she rubbed her eyelids to clear them of any remaining sleep. Her head felt much better, and she was able to sit up in bed and look out the window to the city around her. She still remembered everything from the night before, but it almost felt like some sort of weird fever dream that was hard to believe. Behind her was Michael, still asleep, his arms wildly flailed from hanging onto her and his mouth wide open and drooling. She smiled at him, and noticed the nasty purple bruise on his right bicep. 

There was a knock at the door, and she rushed to locate her shirt and throw it over her head.

“Hello?” She called out. 

“Oh, Lindsay?” An unfamiliar voice called from the other side. “You’re awake?”

“Sure am!” She tugged on her jeans and opened the door, being met with Geoff’s startlingly purple eyes. “Michael already told me everything.” 

“Ah, glad to hear that’s settled. How is your head?” 

“Still hurts,” she prodded at the bandage, “but not as much as it did when I first woke up.” 

“That’s good. Ah...I’m Geoff. I don’t know if Michael told you my name.” 

“He did, but it feels nice to be introduced still.” Accepting Geoff’s offer for a handshake, she smiled. “Michael’s still asleep in there.” 

“He probably needs it.” Geoff started walking away. “How do you two like your coffee?” 

“Black for me, cream and two sugars for Michael.” She followed Geoff into the living room, and smiled at Jack, who was on the couch. The room smelled strongly of bacon and was decorated with vintage memorabilia.

“Lindsay!” he got up with a grunt. “Glad to see you’re awake. Feeling better?” 

“Mostly so, yeah. Thanks to you two, that is.” 

Jack chuckled. “No need for flattery.”

Geoff had moved into the kitchen in the next room over, and called back to the two of them. “I’ll explain the whole point of this once Michael wakes up and we can have breakfast”. 

“Well then you better start talking.”

Lindsay turned, and smiled to see Michael behind her, having thrown on his pants. “Mornin’, love.”

Michael smiled, and yawned before sitting at the table. A large plate of bacon and eggs was placed in front of him and he salivated. It had been quite some time since he had some good, home cooked breakfast. The eggs looked cooked to perfection, scrambled with cheddar cheese and oozing just right. They almost resembled custard, and jiggled with every tap of the side of the plate. That being said, the bacon looked absolutely stunning, crisp around the edges with bubbles of fat shining. Michael hardly even noticed when everyone else sat around the table, but looked up as Geoff cleared his throat.

“Okay,” he began, not planning on sugarcoating anything. “So...if you want to fit in with us, there’s a couple simile ground rules. First off, we don’t hide our flowers or our abilities. In order to be one of us you will wear your flower as a badge of honor. Second, everyone has a place here. Everyone will be put to work at times and there will be no complaining about it. The point of this gang is that we all help each other. Understood?” 

Michael and Lindsay both nodded in agreement, their mouths too full of food to verbally respond. 

“Besides that, just be respectful of everyone here. We have big plans for the future that we’ll elaborate more on when we’re more settled, and I can tell there will be more of us by that point as well. But for now...are you guys in?”

Lindsay and Michael turned towards each other, exchanging a look. 

“Fuck yeah, we are.”

Geoff smiled, and leaned back in his chair. 

“In that case...welcome to The Fakes.”


End file.
